University of Rhode Island DigitalCommons@URI Open Access Master's Theses 1993 A LAND USE PLAN FOR NOISE COMPATIBILITY NEAR QUONSET STATE AIRPORT NORTH KINGSTOWN, RHODE ISLAND Katherine Raymond University of Rhode Island Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/theses Recommended Citation Raymond, Katherine, "A LAND USE PLAN FOR NOISE COMPATIBILITY NEAR QUONSET STATE AIRPORT NORTH KINGSTOWN, RHODE ISLAND" (1993). Open Access Master's Theses. Paper 568. https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/theses/568 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@URI. It has been accepted for inclusion in Open Access Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@URI. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A LAND USE PLAN FOR NOISE COMPATIBILITY NEAR QUONSET STATE AIRPORT NORTH KINGSTOWN, RHODE ISLAND BY KATHERINE RAYMOND A RESEARCH PROJECT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF COMMUNITY PLANNING UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 1993 MASTER OF COMMUNITY PLANNING RESEARCH PROJECT OF KATHERINE RAYMOND Approved: Major Professor Dr. Farhad Atash ~ ( m~~ :i\cknowledged: Director Dr. Marcia Marker Feld ABSTRACT This study is a land use plan for noise compatibility near Quonset State Airport. The study area includes northeastern North Kingstown and northern Jamestown. The premise of the study is that the future of Quonset State Airport (QSA) will include expanded military, cargo, and general aviation operations that will lead to a subsequent increase in noise in the surrounding community. Airport noise regulation is fragmented between federal, state, and local governments, and airport management. The current users of the airport already follow noise abatement procedures. The Town of North Kingstown is diverse in its land use and economic base. Open space, industrial sites, and water lie immediately next to the airport. Jamestown is a more rural and residential community. Both Towns have residential areas in locations where they can be impacted by excessive noise. The redevelopment of the Quonset Point/Davisville industrial sites, the air traffic in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut, and national defense policy will all have an impact on the future use of the airport. Because existing airport facilities can support large commercial aircraft, because of the other transportation links located in the complex, and because the airport is perceived as a low-impact noise area, Quonset Point/Davisville will become a target for future development. By forecasting the number ofdaily jet operations through projected based aircraft ofcivilian and military tenants, the footprint of noise contours can be estimated using the Noise Exposure Forecast method. These contours are adjusted to reflect local flight patterns and then overlaid on land use and zoning maps. The overlays show residential land and undeveloped land that is zoned for residential use in areas that are not suitable for noise sensitive uses. As a preventive measure to avoid more costly noise mitigation in the future, an Airport Overlay District is recommended for the area with certain residential zones within the district changed to non-residential. The study also makes recommendations on mitigation strategies and additional airport contributions to noise abatement. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I am grateful to my readers, David S. Winsor and Walter A. Slocomb, for their critical and insightful comments; and I especially want to thank Dr. Farhad Atash for his assistance, patience, and encouragement. ll TABLE OF CONTENTS page Abstract .... .. .................... ... .. ........ .. ..... I Acknowledgement . ii List of Tables ... ..... ..... ........ .... ... ..... .... ............ ......... v List of Figures ............... .......... .... .. ........... .. ... .. .... .... vu Chapter I. Introduction .... ........ .. ..... .. ...... .......... .... ... .... ... 1 Statement of the subject ....... .... ... .................... ...... I Objectives of the study .......................................... 4 Significance of the subject ................ ....... .. ...... ........ 5 Procedures and methods . .... .. .... .... ... ......... .. ... ........ 6 Scope of the study .............. .. ... ... ................ ....... 7 2. Airport Noise Regulation ............................................ 10 The Federal Government ...... .. ............ ................. .. 10 The State of Rhode Island ...................................... 17 The Towns of North Kingstown and Jamestown . .... ........... ... 19 Airport noise litigation ......................................... 21 Planning process ........ .. ............. .. ......... : ...... ... .. 26 3. Noise .............................................. ............ 31 Measurement of noise . ..................... ...... ... ........ ... 31 Noise in the community ........................................ 44 Noise mitigation techniques ..................................... 49 4. Inventory and existing conditions ...... .. ...... ......... .. ....... .. .. 59 Quonset State Airport ....................... : ... .... .. ..... ... 59 Towns of North Kingstown and Jamestown ....... ..... .. .. ........ 79 Noise contours and flight tracks .... ..... ... ..................... 88 ll1 page 5. Forecasts ............... ..... ................ ........... ..... .. 96 Towns of North Kingstown and Jamestown ........................ 97 Quonset Point/Davisville ............. .............. ...... ... 103 Quonset State Airport ........................................ 106 Noise contours . 113 6. Analysis ........................................................ 118 Noise contours ....... .... ...... ..... ... ........ .. ... .. ..... 118 Impact of airport noise on the surrounding community . ..... ....... 120 Planning issues . 127 Evaluation criteria for noise abatement methods .. .. .. .. ..... .... 133 7. Recommendations ............................................... 135 Phase I - Land use controls ........ .. ............... ...... .. ... 135 Phase II - Mitigation strategies ................................. 143 Quonset State Airport .................. ....... .......... ... 145 Conclusion and issues for further study ........................... 147 Appendix A. Land Use Guidance Chart for Land Use Sensitivity Interpolation . ..... 149 References ................ ... ..... ............................... ...... 152 lV LIST OF TABLES Table page 2. 1 Stage II and Stage III Aircraft Noise Limits .......... ....... ...... .... 13 2.2 Land Use Guidance Chart . 14 2.3 Permitted Sound Levels by Receiving Land Use .... .. ... .................. 20 2.4 Noise Regulation Summary ....... .. ... .................. .. ... 22 3. 1 Adding Decibels: Two Sounds of Different Values . ... .. ................... 35 3.2 Adding Decibels: Many Sounds of the Same Value .. ... .. ....... ... .. ..... 36 3.3 Distances for Approximate NEF Contours . .. .... .... ......... ... 42 3.4 Land Use Guidance Chart ....... ........ ........ ...... ..... ... .. .... 45 3. 5 Acceptable Land Uses within Noise Zones ... ...... ..... .. ... .. .. ..... 46 3.6 Qualitative Noise Descriptors· Applicable to Residential Areas .. ......... : . .... 48 4.1 Quonset State Airport, Annual Operations, 1980-1991 .. ...... .... .. .... .... 72 4.2 Quonset State Airport, Annual Passengers and Cargo, 1980-1991 . ... .... ... 73 4.3 Existing Land Use Categories .. ... .. .. ... .... ... .... .... ... .... 82 4.4 Existing Zoning Categories ... ... .. .. ... .... ... .... .. .. ...... 87 4.5 Population and Housing Units, 1990 .... .. ... ... ..... ..... .. .. ... ..... 89 5.1 Population and Housing Units Forecast ...... ...... ..... .. ..... ... .. ... 98 5.2 Future Land Use Categories .. ... .... .. ... .. .......... ... ... ... 101 5.3 Quonset Point/Davisville Development Potential . .... ...... .... .... , ....... 104 v Table page 5.4 Future Operations of Jet Aircraft .. .. .......... ... ....................... 111 5.5 Distances for Approximate NEF Contours ................................ 114 6.1 Land Use Guidance Chart ... .... ..... ............. ....... ............ 124 7.1 Phase I and II Recommendations ........................................ 145 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure page 3.1 Typical Sound Levels .... .. ....... ... ... ... .................. .. ... 39 3.2 Typical Noise Contour . .. ..... .... .... ... ... ...... ..... .. ... ... .. 41 3.3 Noise Contour Using NEF Method of Approximation .. .... ... .. .. ...... 43 4. l Aerial Photograph of Quonset State Airport ... .... ... ............ ... ... .. 63 4. 2 Rhode Island State Airports . .. ... ........ .... ............ ........ 64 4.3 Quonset State Airport Layout Plan ....... ....... .. .. ...... ....... .... 67 4.4 Quonset State Airport, Annual Operations, 1980-1991 ... ........ ......... ... 71 4.5 Quonset State Airport, Annual Passengers, 1980-1991 . .... ..... ............ 74 4.6 Quonset State Airport, Annual Cargo, 1980-1991 ... ... .... ... .. .... .... 76 4.7 North Kingstown "No-Fly" Areas .... .. .. .......... .... ...... .. .... 78 4.8 North Kingstown Planning Districts . .. ...... ......... ... .. .. .... .... 81 4.9 Existing Land Use .. .. .......... .. ... ............. ..... ........ 83 4.10 Existing Zoning .. .. .... .... ....... ...... .. .... ... ... .... ... .... 86 4.11 Existing Noise Contours . .. ... .. ...... ... ..... .... .. .... .. ......... 91 4.1 2 Flight Tracks . ........... ....... .... ...... .. ......... ... ..... ..